Lost Creek Hollow a quest of least concern

Oh God this was so exciting. Ayisihik was that one bit closer to becoming what he was meant to become — the king of the mountain lions. An Alpha not with wolves at his back, but with a whole team of magnificent mountain lions! It was such a thrilling ambition, and his heart rang with it at every sprightly step. The semi-nomadic little pack with which he'd run since childhood was lovely and all, but they were sort of holding him back. He hadn't had any choice but to slip out in the dead of night — which of course had been a great adventure, not some suicidal escapade resulting in a lot of people worrying about him endlessly.

He was a bit tired, though. Ishi had been travelling all night and his paws were achey, his immaculate fur was a little less immaculate, and he was awful hungry. But he still had a spring in his step, a faint smile on his face, and his ears were all perky and alert. His plan had been to track the nearest cougar and request admittance to its "pack" so he could discuss leadership with them, but he wasn't stupid — he also had a Plan B. And that was to find a wolf pack close to where mountain lions lived and get in with them. After all, the young one needed to find food, sanctuary and companionship if he was going to build up a long-term strategy.

The dawn was very bright. It came in the form of a great sheet of light that turned the sky a paler navy and made the landscape look green and magical. Ishi's slender white body began to slink a little lower as his pace slowed, because he'd sensed a wolf border nearby. God this really was exciting. Casting his gold eyes out over the handsome valley, Ishi halted a good distance from the border and sent up a soft, effeminate howl of humble request.